Modelling the erythemally effective UV to students in a school environment

Abstract

[Abstract]: A technique to represent erythemally effective solar ultraviolet radiation incident on exposed surfaces of the human body has been developed from laser scans of manikin body part models. Variation in manikin topography has been modelled for three dimensional visualisation of the received biologically effective solar UV exposure to the face, neck, arms, hands and legs. Exposures to each of the modelled regions have been extensively measured at specific manikin sites using polysulphone dosimeters. The measurement sites allow the formation of a network of contours over the body to display erythemally effective solar UV exposure relative to the modelled incident horizontal plane solar UV irradiance. The developed contour models of the face, neck, arms, hands and legs can be placed into a modelled school environment to represent the likely erythemally effective exposure received by school children using that environment. The playground environment at Hervey Bay State High School (25oS,153oE) was the first to be modelled for this research using a photographic survey technique to determine sky view and local surface reflectivity within the school playground to a site resolution of 5 m. This survey, applied to any number of school playgrounds or outdoor settings has the potential to provide UV hot spot maps that detail variation in local environments with variation in season, time of day, and cloud cover. When weighted to the developed body contour models, realistic estimates of cumulative UV exposure can be given for children using those environments.